<p>Just know that those of us who have gone through this before are thinking of you with kind thoughts and good wishes for your kids. Hang in there! .</p>
<p>Right on, ActingDad. I too attended all three (Purchase, Juilliard, Rutgers) and have wide agreement on your statements. My quick summary from the auditions to help others:
- Purchase College: disorganized process/late start/unclear process; students were least mature of the three (borderline disruptive, struggled to answer questions were probably not prepped); no space or even consideration of providing a warm up space; interviewer was aggressive (my son was asked what his weakest flaw was then told “let’s see if you have fixed it” which rattled him a bit naturally.) he didnt get a call back but stated that Purchase moved down the list even if accepted.
- Juilliard: fantastic experience overall; very polished; My son was asked to do his first monologue several different ways and the interviewer was very engaged and encouraging. His 2nd was Shakespeare (a fatal mistake in hindsight) and she tossed him out. Ok, so Willy Shakes isnt truthful but its an interesting piece! Lesson learned - rethink Shakespeare if you have it in your bag of tricks. Do Checkhov or Turgenev. A family friend had Juilliard Friday night, went with non-Shakespeare and got call back (only to bomb in movement lesson they had him do).<br>
- Rutgers: Not quite Juilliard but far better than Purchase. My son dropped his Shakespeare for Turgenev (knowing Rutgers a big truthful shop too) and nailed them both. Was then brought to Dept head where he performed them again. Wasnt videotaped but felt positive signs when they asked what schools he was considering other than Rutgers. And several of the student ushers said they didnt have call backs. And a mom there with her daughter who was an Off Broadway Director and knows many faculty at Purchase and Rutgers said call backs were not a screen but really just to see more. So its anyones guess where they stand.</p>
<p>My son also did VCU and UNC School of the Arts so far and wrote a few lessons learned from his experience to date: no Shakespeare monologue, be prepared to do some on the fly literary analysis in response to interviewer questions (which character you have played had the greatest impact on your work?) and use your responses to generalized questions to reinforce your unique skills/interests. Dont say I can also tap dance but rather Im looking for a school like this one that can broaden my many interests, like tap dancing, so I can be a working professional one day. Its all about selling and you need to get them to buy your act.</p>
<p>Deep sigh…</p>
<p>Interesting about Julliard, they require one of your monologues to be from Shakespeare…</p>
<p>^^Yes, as do others (and some don’t require but recommend it). I hear that sigh, Photomom…</p>
<p>Which is exactly why no one should read too much into auditors’ reactions!</p>
<p>Feeling for everyone … the time will pass and this all will be over soon.</p>
<p>Son was accepted with no call back. Was also accepted at a school where one of the auditioners was sound asleep during son’s monologue. Was turned down at two places with call back and extra attention and questions and where he felt “good”. There is no telling with this process.</p>
<p>^^Pretty sure these two posts hit the nail on the head as to why Photomom and I are sighing. 
My son and I enjoy a little post-game analysis as much as everybody else does, but you simply can’t second-guess everything or apply “wisdom” in hindsight to your audition decisions or the auditors’ responses. We remind ourselves of this every day. Cpt, I love your sleeping auditor story, which I think you’ve mentioned before, and refer to it as a reminder that you really never know!</p>
<p>They need a “like” button on this site so I could like Times3’s post!!!</p>
<p>Um, just beware that some posters may or may not be giving accurate information, even if well intentioned. Do your own research.</p>
<p>cptofthehouse: When you say your son was “accepted with no callback”–do you mean accepted at Purchase with no callback or at some other place? Thanks for clarifying.</p>
<p>Purchase. Some years ago. And his friend who was with him was rejected with call back. But friend got into the UMich program and my son was denied there. Go figure.</p>
<p>Another parent here who has gone through the process 2 years ago and wishes you and your kids all well. I also tell the story of my S who had one particular interview/portfolio review (he applied for Scenic Design) where the interviewer (a professor) paged through half his portfolio, actually flipped to the end, while asking exactly one question: Do you have any photos of sets you’ve designed? My son did not. Then the guy dismissed him with a quick thank you. </p>
<p>That was it. My son had the usual interview nerves, had thoughtful questions prepared to ask, and yet… that was it. You know what’s coming. He was accepted. That was UCLA. They apparently look for a certain thing in the portfolio and if they see it, they’re on to the next in the long line of waiting kids. But… 1 question. And then, NEXT. </p>
<p>I tell my kids they can only be in the right place at the right time if they keep going for their dreams and chasing every opportunity. There needs to be a little trust in the universe that the best door will open for them, even if they don’t realize at the time which door really is the best.</p>
<p>A big thanks to all the former parents who have shared their prior experiences. I know I’ve read a lot of these things before on this forum but it very helpful to be reminded of them again when in the middle of the process.</p>
<p>I can understand why a school would want to play it “poker” face so as not to get hopes up too high or to low. What is entirely mistifying to me though is an example like madbean has below. This is somewhat similar to the audition my daughter had at Hartt. In the opening remarks to the parents, the head of the program says its very important for the kids to ask questions. If the kids do not ask questions, it shows a lack of interest. In my daughter’s interview, she asks a couple of questions and gets what she perceives as somewhat sarcastic remarks. She then asks if he has any questions of her. He has none and sends her on her away. She gets an offer so I guess he saw what he need to see. </p>
<p>But his comment about the importance of asking questions should apply to the school as well. They should understand (I think) that there is a sales aspect to their job as well. My daughter had a 180 degree difference with her U of Arts audition where the head of the program showed tremendous interest in who she was and how the program would be a good fit for her. That difference has had a meaningful impact on the way she views the two programs.</p>
<p>ActingDad: Though just to play devil’s advocate–it’s not that hard to market your college program during a single admissions event. If you have the wherewithal, desire, money and know-how, you can present whatever you want. I would be <em>very</em> cautious about drawing conclusions about a program based on the one-day audition experience. I mean, YES, it’s part of the picture. But it’s only part. </p>
<p>I would strongly encourage everyone to visit the colleges in depth once you have your admissions in hand and if you are fortunate to have a choice. Do NOT rule out ANY program based on the day you auditioned, unless it was really off-putting to you personally based on unchangeable qualities, such as location. And I would certainly not put a program up to the top of my list based mostly on whether they were gushing and kind during auditions. </p>
<p>Visit the college, not on an allotted tour day. The visit should be the student’s rather the parent’s. The student should sit in on at least one current acting class (at least). The student should spend at least one day and a night at the college, preferably see a current show, talk to current professors if possible, drop in on the dean if possible, and definitely talk to current students when they’re not handpicked and in front of their own mentors/professors. </p>
<p>We discovered SO many unexpected things - both positive and negative - doing this. And I wish I had followed my own advice the first and second time I went through this with my kids.</p>
<p>This discussion reminds me so much of my son’s experience several years ago (he graduated college in 2011) because it sounds like he applied to many of the same colleges your kids’ did. There are a lot of similarities, but also some notable differences.
About Purchase: I remember the young woman who took our group under her wing told us that she was accepted without a callback, but I believe it was at a unified audition and not on campus. My son got a callback, then a second callback the same day. The second time, the dean came out and tried to sell the students on the program, which certainly left us with an optimistic attitude. I think they did it that way because it was the last possible day to audition. So perhaps callbacks depend a bit on timing and location.
Also, parents didn’t have to sit on the floor. I had nice conversations with many of them, because it was a very long day. Some were there from 7 a.m. and stayed until well after dark. One father and son had flown in from California just for the day.
Rutgers didn’t have callbacks, from what I recall. I’m glad we didn’t have to go through the mess that some families went through last year.
Juilliard was the same, from what it sounds. We went in with few expectations, so were not disappointed at getting no callbacks.
We ended up applying to nine schools. I only found this site toward the end of our audition season, and while it all worked out well for my son, and can see in hindsight we did many things wrong. On the other had, it might just have made me more nervous.</p>
<p>I am not surprised that people are having less than favorable experiences at Purchase. I took my daughter there for a visit because I heard how “prestigious” their program is.
It was horribly depressing. The tour guide actually admitted that he did not like the school and the whole place looked cold and depressing.
Kids were smoking pot in plain site of the tour, which was quite alarming to me. I know they have a drug problem there, but you would think they would at least “hide” it from parents with kids on a tour.
I know 2 kids who go there and they say they are happy with the program, but not the school.
I guess the low tuition out ways the negatives.</p>
<p>My daughter refused to apply to Purchase based on peer reports. But if we were NY state residents I’d have insisted she apply because of the in-state tuition.</p>
<p>Comparatively speaking, it is a bargain for even out of state tuition. It is barely more than Rutgers would run for us based on in state tuition.</p>
<p>ActingDad, my daughter is probably glad that I didn’t realize that!</p>